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Breaking Into The Cannabis Industry - Mechanical Engineering

By Roger Malespin

January 29th 2109, photo/istock/monkeybusinessimages

Technology always moves at a rapid pace. The past 100 years alone have given us modern cars, the industrial revolution, space travel, and the internet. So it makes sense that the rapidly growing cannabis industry is home to some of the most cutting edge in farming and extracting technology today. With indoor cultivation and its hi-tech maintenance growing at an exponential pace, mechanical engineers are one of the most sought after higher-end jobs the industry needs. Most building contractors have never worked on any kind of large scale cultivation facility, so MEs are the ones who are needed to get things up and running.These masters of machinery don’t come cheap but are absolutely necessary for any modern growing business to succeed.

The expertise of a mechanical engineer is common knowledge, but they apply their skill in countless ways. In the cannabis industry, intricate mechanical systems are required to properly maintain grow houses. This covers high tech irrigation and plumbing, ventilations systems, lighting, and HVAC systems. MEs will no doubt have knowledge of these already, but how they operate in the cannabis industry is something those looking for a career switch need to study extensively before applying.

There are many, many positions for MEs out there in the cannabis industry from the largest companies to the smallest startups. They could work on product design; say, if a small company needs to build a new vape they’ve designed, or maybe even conceptualize and make it themselves. They could work on systems for a large, multi-national company, improving manufacturability of a huge range of systems and products. MEs are the core of the industry, and their skills can be put to use in more areas of the business than any other expert.

The cannabis industry’s blossoming is the perfect storm for MEs for another reason - innovation. It seems like every week we can read about a new product or startup, and now most of the country has legalized cannabis in some form. It’s almost too much to keep track of. This is the perfect breeding ground for innovation and it shows. MEs can find work in almost any cannabis business in more than one capacity. They can work on large scale systems or flex their creative muscles - there really are few limitations for them in this fertile frontier.

Additionally, MEs can choose the cannabis industry for their own conscience. Talented engineers are often recruited by defense contractors, but the cannabis industry is the exact opposite. Rather than build weapons or surveillance systems, MEs can choose a high paying career in cannabis to help people with crippling physical disabilities. Working on or creating products to help the needy is a personally fulfilling path for many people and the medical cannabis industry is the perfect place to walk it.

Overall, MEs have an excellent chance of finding work in the cannabis industry. The potential runs the gamut from HVAC, to irrigation systems, to product design and everything in between. Of course, a degree in mechanical engineering is needed but the experience factor will differ from company to company.

MEs looking for a new career path probably can’t do better than the cannabis industry right now. Optimistic market analysts and big business owners have projected the industry to more than double in the next 3-5 years and MEs will be needed at almost every turn. So any experienced or even new MEs interested should start searching immediately - chances are you’ll find something sooner than later.